Royal Spectaclehttp://blogs.canoe.com/royalspectacle
An irreverant take on the royal family – from a different Kate.Sat, 02 May 2015 20:39:30 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.3A new princess!http://blogs.canoe.com/royalspectacle/lifestyle/a-new-princess/
http://blogs.canoe.com/royalspectacle/lifestyle/a-new-princess/#commentsSat, 02 May 2015 20:39:30 +0000http://blogs.canoe.com/royalspectacle/?p=61521

The new princess outside the hospital on May 2. (Photo: Ben Stansall/AFP)

A new princess has been born – how wonderful for the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge.

As the world celebrates with the royal couple and older brother, George, it’s hard not to feel excitement for the family. It’s hard to dislike a baby (although I’m sure some of you will roll your eyes and mutter “breeders” to yourself).

But while I was happy to hear the news, I shudder a little at the royal honourific “princess.”

I’ve never cared for the word as used by many parents the world over who gush about “my little princess.” The word conjurs up visions of Disney-like characters with long, flowing hair and giant ballgowns. It is a word I feel is akin to saying a little girl has all style, no substance.

In this case, as a real princess, this latest Cambridge will no doubt become a fashion icon. And I don’t mean just as a baby – parents rushed out to have the same outfits Prince George was photographed wearing – but the potential is there that the princess will be a fashion icon for life. That’s a pretty heavy load for a brand new baby.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is thought to be a pretty hands on mom, so I hope she has some influence to ensure her daughter has a similar childhood to her own. Kate was a sporty tomboy who wasn’t always known for her lovely hair and keen fashion sense. It would be nice if the princess could experience a similar childhood.

So here are a few other wishes I hope for the new princess:

- I hope you’re allowed to get dirty – be it playing in the mud, climbing trees, expressing your artistic side or letting ice cream drip down your chin.

- I hope you play sports if you want to – hockey would be nice (as a former field hockey player I’d say that counts as I’m not sure how popular ice hockey is in England, but I’m also Canadian, so learning to skate is probably a must). But if you want to play baseball or soccer or rugby, I hope you do. Take a page from your great aunt Anne and cousin Zara and get on a horse.

- I hope you dance (if you want to) – and that you’re allowed to be in recitals.

- I hope you’re taught you’re more than the outfit you’re wearing. You are also more than “the fourth in line to the throne.” You are beautiful, but you are also allowed to be strong and smart.

- I remember writing something similar when your brother was born, but I also hope you get to be a child. I hope you get to experience the joys of swinging at the playground, of spotting a bus or train and getting excited about it, of running and running and running until you don’t want to run anymore.

But most of all, I hope you get to be you, little princess. If your desire is to be what we stereotypically think of when we hear the word princess, then who am I, or anyone, to tell you that’s wrong?

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, at her last official engagement March 27. (Photo: WENN.com)

The Duchess of Cambridge was spotted Tuesday driving away from Buckingham Palace.

Luckily for her, it means she still has at least a few more hours of freedom.

I have been neglectful when it comes to this blog, mostly because I am currently off with my second child – a beautiful nearly five-month-old son. I love him to bits, but I realize now what a fool I was just before leaving on maternity leave to think having a second child around would be no big whoop. I remember telling my editor I’d be able to blog fairly regularly.

“No problem,” is what I believe I said.

My friends laugh at me, so you might as well, too.

So as the “Great Kate Wait” (gosh, this woman has the word “wait” attached to everything she does – she was Waity Katie, then the Great Kate Wait for George, and now the hashtag is #GreatKateWait2) continues for a few more hours to days – there’s already speculation she’ll be induced and that surely she is past due – I will say I am not waiting with anticipation for the birth of the royal baby. In part because I have diapers to change, mouths to feed and mountains of laundry to get through, but also because while I’m sure Kate is excited to meet her new bundle of joy, I hope she’s also just enjoying this down time before her life is thrown into chaos for a second time.

I know I have been critical of Kate in the past for not doing as much as I think she should given her lot in life. So maybe it’s the fact that I still sleep in two-hour intervals at night and my brain is foggy until the hour before I go to bed again, but I feel a little sympathy for her right now as the world waits for her to give birth again. Prince George looks like he could get himself into a lot of trouble when his mum’s (or nanny’s) back is turned, so I’m sure he’s not going to sit quietly when his brother and sister need to nap. Hopefully he doesn’t do what my daughter does, which is run up to a sleeping infant in the playpen and yell, “Baby! UP!”

A police officer asks royal fan Terry Hutt to pose with him for a photo outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s hospital in central London, on April 27. The duchess is expected to give birth at the hospital any day now. (Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP)

I hope she has time to just relax, put her aching feet up and forget about the people who have already been waiting outside the hospital for days (I wouldn’t even let anyone near the hospital until after both my children were born - the croissants were a nice touch, though). I hope she has a cup of tea, watches her favourite show and gets a moment to breathe. Yes, she’s going to have help (I do believe at some point I read her mother plans to move in to help with baby #2 – poor William), but I do believe Kate is a bit more hands-on with her children than some previous royals, so she will still have her hands full.

So as the time approaches, I wish the duchess luck. Like most mothers, she’s going to need it.

The Duchess of Cambridge is due to have her second child sometime in the next month. (Photo: Lia Toby/WENN.com)

In about a month, the Duchess of Cambridge will give birth to her second child, the royal “spare” so the joke goes.

While some think the second child is overshadowed by the first, and in this case the future king, I think being the second royal born is the cherry on top of being born with a silver spoon. This wee royal will have much more freedom than older brother, George, and way less responsibility.

Let’s take a look at some other second borns so you can see what I mean.

Prince Harry, of course, is first up. He is seen here at the premiere of Guillemot last month. (Photo: WENN.com)

Prince Harry

He is the current wild child of the royal family.

Sure, he has made it on TMZ for some wild antics in Las Vegas, and was photographed wearing a Nazi uniform at a costume party, but he has also served with the armed forces in Afghanistan – something he wanted to do and which would never have been allowed had he been the heir. (Prince William has even talked about being envious of his little brother’s freedom to serve).

Harry may not be big on royal duties, but he has served his country in other ways. He has also started initiatives like the Invictus Games for wounded warriors and the charity Sentebable, which helps children who live in poverty and are the victims of the Lesotho’s HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Unfortunately. while he can party and not worry about having to be king the next day, Prince Harry is under more media scrutiny than most second-born (or later) royals, so he does have to still deal with seeing his name in the tabloids.

The Princess Royal at the Six Nations international rugby union match between Scotland and Wales in Edinburgh on Feb. 15. (Photo: Ian MacNicol/AFP)

Princess Anne

She took her love of horses to a new level when she competed in the Olympics in Montreal – the first British royal to do so. She has also won medals for her equestrian work at the European Eventing Championships.

Not cool enough? How about in 1974, when a man stopped her motorcade and tried to abduct her for ransom? When he ordered the Princess Royal out of her car, she replied, “Not bloodly likely,” got out of the car on the other side and was taken to safety by a passerby.

After breaking it off with her first fiance because the government and church didn’t think the divorced Group Captain Peter Townsend was a suitable match (talk about peer pressure), there were a number of suitors, including, apparently, John Turner, our 17th prime minister.

But she married a photographer named Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960 and reportedly had a number of extramarital affairs, including with Mick Jagger and Pink Panther actor Peter Sellers, among others. She again caused controversy when she divorced from Armstrong-Jones 18 years later (although this probably wasn’t a surprise, let’s be honest).

King George VI with his wife, Queen Elizabeth, and daughter, Princess Elizabeth, are seen in this still image taken from archive film footage, received in London on June 1, 2012. The film, entitled Royal Road, was shot during a car trip around the grounds of Windsor Castle in 1941. Still images from the film, were released to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth. (Photo: britishcouncil.org/film/handout)

King George VI

He wasn’t supposed to be king, but took the throne after his brother Edward abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. That alone is pretty cool. He overcame a stammer (as anyone who has seen The King’s Speech knows) and was a dedicated family man who led his country through the Second World War.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip look at a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I in this 2011 file photo. (Photo: John Stillwell/Pool/Reuters)

Queen Elizabeth I

Technically not the second born child of Henry VIII, she was the second child to survive more than a few weeks. After her younger half-brother Edward died, and her older half-sister ‘Bloody’ Mary died, Elizabeth took the throne and reigned for 44 years. She was expected to marry and have children, but never did. Some of her supporters celebrated her virginity. She established the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, which later became the Church of England.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge chats to (from left to right) Penelope Wilton, Hugh Bonneville, and Laura Carmichael during a visit to the set of Downton Abbey on March 12. (Photo: Chris Jackson/Pool/Reuters)

Following in the footsteps of George Clooney, the Duchess of Cambridge has stopped by the set of Downton Abbey.

Catherine is a apparently a big fan of the show, but unlike Clooney, who filmed a clip for a charity event and not the actual show, the duchess was just there to observe.

She met cast and crew and sat in while some filming was taking place. the Telegraph reported.

It was a very visible, yet low-key event for the duchess, who is nearing her due date with her second child.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge accepts a Ben Ainslie Racing sailing shirt with Prince George written on the back during a visit to the construction site of the new Ben Ainslie Racing headquarters and Visitor Centre in Portsmouth, southern England on Feb. 12. (Photo: Christopher Pledger/AFP)

The news reports focused on her pregnancy and her lovely tan, having just returned from a family vacation to the exclusive Mustique resort island.

Again, we were reminded how pretty Kate is and how well she dresses – and what a good person she is because she visits children and athletes. And there’s no doubt her visits bring joy to those people and their supporters.

But as I see the reports about her out and about this week, I can’t help but feel like Kate, and to some degree her husband Prince William, really only want to focus their attention on the easy topics – nothing even remotely controversial.

Earlier this month, the royal couple were called on to support a proposition that would pardon 49,000 men convicted of being gay. The law was only repealed in 2003.

But when asked to support what is, today, a no-brainer, Will and Kate refused, instead saying they would not comment because it is a government matter.

And, I’m sorry, but that’s bull.

Prince William can speak out about animal poaching and soccer. Kate can attend public events and offer smiles and handshakes. But the two cannot put their names behind this, an obvious move?

This royal couple has always been a tad annoying to me - they do very little but show up to events to smile and be seen. These two could do so much more – could bring attention to bigger issues and serious topics, and yet, they don’t.

Some might argue Kate should be given a break – she is a new mom, she’s pregnant and she’s only new to the royal family. But the fact is, Kate knows full well how much influence she could have over an issue, and yet she seems content to have royal reporters tell readers about her hair and clothes.

Prince William wasn’t raised by parents who kept quiet on important issues – Prince Charles has been controversial at times in his thoughts on the environment, while Princess Diana didn’t shy away from showing the grim side of life (although, to be fair, she didn’t do this right away).

Will and Kate need to be more than just pretty faces. With their every move being covered by international media, they have the chance to really make a difference in the world. They shouldn’t be afraid to take on serious causes.

Because if they don’t – if they continue to try to get by on their “star” appeal” – people will eventually realize this lovely royal couple is just a facade and there’s no substance to them.

And if the royals have no substance, then what is their purpose? Just offering smiles and handshakes isn’t enough to make the public happy forever. They need to stand for something.

Australian magazine Woman’s Day has a cover featuring the Duchess of Cambridge, but they made some changes to the photo they used – and made Kate look downright weird.

They changed her eyes, hair and added a strange “sparkle” to her earring.

The magazine has been called out by readers on its Facebook page (where an improved version of the cover has been posted) for the terrible Photoshop job.

“What on EARTH have you done to Kate? Looks sick,” one person wrote.

Another person suggested an intern was to blame.

What do you think?

The original printed cover: The fixed version on Facebook

]]>http://blogs.canoe.com/royalspectacle/lifestyle/kates-magazine-disaster/feed/0Andy’s controversy not a good start to the yearhttp://blogs.canoe.com/royalspectacle/lifestyle/andys-controversy-not-a-good-start-to-the-year/
http://blogs.canoe.com/royalspectacle/lifestyle/andys-controversy-not-a-good-start-to-the-year/#commentsTue, 13 Jan 2015 20:29:46 +0000http://blogs.canoe.com/royalspectacle/?p=61091

Prince Andrew speaks at the 10th anniversary of Harrow International School Beijing, in an October 24, 2014 file photo. Buckingham Palace stepped up its denial that Prince Andrew had sex with an underage girl and named the alleged victim who had sought to preserve her anonymity, according to British newspaper reports on January 4, 2015. Buckingham Palace had already denied on Friday allegations made in Florida court documents by the woman, who said she was forced as a minor to have sex with Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth, as well as with other figures linked to a disgraced U.S. Financier. (Photo: Reuters)

Prince Andrew has been named in an alleged sex scandal – the first royal problem of the year, and the first headline-causing controversy the royals have had to really deal with in a while.

But, he has an ally in the palace, which took the unusual step of actually addressing the allegations, as well as his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.

The reports claim Prince Andrew may have lobbied for an American convicted of soliciting a prostitute to receive a lighter sentence after himself being given an under age “sex slave.”

A woman has filed a case in the U.S. against Jeffrey Epstein – an acquaintance of Andrew – alleging she was Epstein’s sex slave and that she was forced to have sex with the prince three times. Another man named in the woman’s suit called the allegations “totally made up,” the Guardian reported.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Normally royal officials ignore such claims, but this time the palace has publicly denied all of the allegations.

Ferguson, who is still the Duchess of York and remains good friends (maybe more?) with her ex, went on the Today Show Tuesday to defend Prince Andrew.

She was on the show officially to discuss weight loss, but Matt Lauer quickly delved into the scandal.

She called him “a great father and a humongously good man.” and she, “as his best friend,” called the allegations “salacious lies.”

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, (with lovely looking hair) learns sign language as she meets with children at the newly established 23rd Poplar Beaver Scout Colony in east London on Dec. 16. (Photo: Ben Stansall/Pool/AFP)

He might be in trouble for this comment …

During a visit to Centrepoint, a charity for homeless youth in the U.K., Prince William joked a hairdresser in training should try working on his wife’s “nightmare” hair.

Ouch.

Prince William may want to rethink how he phrases things … (Photo: Twitter/Centrepoint)

British media have pointed out the “nightmare” may be that the Duchess of Cambridge’s hair gets “frizzy” in humid weather.

He also talked to a young woman who just got a construction job about his trip to NYC and meeting Jay-Z, and apparently ate some sweets as the charity tweeted the hashtag #whoateallthechocolate following Wills’ informal visit to the charity (media was not invited).

Prince George poses in a courtyard at Kensington Palace in London in this one out of three official Christmas photographs of him taken in late November and released on Dec. 13. (Photo: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/Handout via Reuters)

New photos of Prince George have been released and, well, he looks like a mischievous little boy, doesn’t he?

I have no doubt from the glint in his eye and his smile that he gives his parents and caregivers a run for their money. He is, no doubt, a little royal terror.

Ohhhh, those cheeks! (Photo: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/Handout via Reuters)

Apologies for the lack of blog posts as of late – I’ve been busy with my own new little bundle of joy (born Nov. 30), but here are a few things that caught my attention over the past couple of weeks:

The NYC trip’s coverage

Prince William met with U.S. President Barack Obama. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, visited with inner city youth. Together they helped celebrate their university’s 600th anniversary with a gala and visited the 9/11 memorial.

Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, attend the gala for St. Andrews during their NYC visit. (Photo: Jason Decrow/AFP)

But the coverage of their brief trip across the pond to New York City focused more on the royal couple attending an NBA game, meeting Beyonce and Jay-Z (very briefly at that NBA game), LeBron James touched Kate when he met the couple (as he no doubt does every time someone takes a photo with him – and to be fair, Kate was not offended by the breach in protocol), Kate wearing a recycled dress to the St. Andrews gala and Kate’s eyeroll when she was told to “keep wrapping” gifts (this tweet has a great gif of said eyeroll). The coverage of the visit made me think, “Why do we care about this?” And, to be fair, I didn’t really care about it. Sure, Kate and Wills are an exciting young couple to watch, but this trip was just plain boring.

Prince Charles’ Christmas card

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, used a photo taken during the opening of the Invictus Games, which was organized by Prince Harry, in their Christmas card this year. I agree with the media outlets that say they honoured Prince Harry by using this photo – helping to plan this event was a huge deal and it is hoped the event for injured service men and woman will be repeated.

It was a good tribute by a proud father.

Prince Charles shares a laugh with his son, Prince Harry, during the Invictus Games this past summer. (Photo: Luke MacGregor/AFP)

A spray painted picture of a pregnant Duchess of Cambridge, naked with a miniature crown balancing on her belly, has appeared on a wall in Islington, North London. (Photo: WENN.com)

Graffiti showing a naked and pregnant Duchess of Cambridge has sprung up on a wall in London and is the work of American graffiti artist Pegasus.

The image, which shows a small crown resting on her belly, also includes the words Game of Thrones.

The graffiti showed up Nov. 26 ahead of a trip by Catherine and Prince William to the U.S. early next month. The couple will be travelling to New York City for three days, Dec. 7-9. They’ll take in an NBA game, attend a black tie fundraiser and will visit inner city youth shelters, along with see a few sites.

Prince George is not expected to join them.

The couple has also been invited to China in early 2015, although it is expected Prince William will make this trip alone as Kate will be around five months pregnant.